Buy on Amazon
A Pact with the Devil by Tom Finn
London is in the grip of an ever-increasing spate of knife crime and murder. Most of these crimes relate to drug warfare on large council estates, which have become no-go areas for the police.
The Metropolitan Police know an Albanian, Arian Mehmed, supplies the gangs with their cocaine. After a two-year enquiry costing millions of pounds, the police are no closer to arresting Mehmed or stopping the flow of drugs onto the streets.
A new Commissioner of Police and a new Home Secretary are determined to solve the issue. They remember a time in the 80’s when detectives, using unorthodox and possibly unlawful methods, returned incredible results.
They approach a retired Detective Chief Inspector, with a reputation for pragmatism, to assemble a group of like-minded ex-detectives to resolve the problem of Mehmed and the drugs on the estates.
What follows is a homage to the way things were done when the police were feared by criminals and respected by the public.
Is it possible to use methods frowned upon today to solve a modern crime?
A Pact with the Devil by Tom Finn is an excellent, character-driven, ‘Police Procedural’ crime thriller set in the world of drugs, police work, and street crime in London.
Terry Reid is a widower, trying to fill his days with walking the dog and creating a routine, which includes talking to his wife’s photograph. A retired Detective Chief Inspector, he’s finding the empty days hard to handle. As he’s reading in the newspaper about a young boy who’s been murdered in London, he receives a phone call that changes everything. Superintendent Alan Jones has a proposition for him. Can he set up a squad of like-minded retired policemen to tackle the drug scene on two estates, and work to bring down the Albanian drug dealer—Arian Mehmed? Can he just! Very quickly, a group of his old work colleagues are pulled out of retirement to help in this one-off special task force. They might be old but they’re willing to blur the lines that police today can’t do, and turn a blind eye to a little theft, kidnapping, and torture! Can their methods get the job done?
Tom Finn’s thirty-plus years spent as a detective in London in various Crime Squads puts the voice of experience and authenticity to this very believable tale. His characters (especially Terry) are fully realized and fleshed out. The plot builds in intensity and develops from doubts to tightly wound action. There’s great dialog, masculine camaraderie, and banter, especially between the retired cops. There is quite a bit of ‘blue’ language but that’s in keeping with the reality of the story. I particularly enjoyed the ratio of ‘everyday’ living mingled in with crime solving.
A Pact with the Devil by Tom Finn brings genuine suspense to a nearly bloodless, but thoroughly gripping, tale. Tightly plotted with the most satisfying of endings! It comes very highly recommended by Chick Lit Café. Book reviewed by Emma Christy fo Chick Lit Café.
Don’t miss the novel that everyone’s reading!
Buy A Pact with the Devil by Tom Finn
Chick Lit Café Awards First Place to
A Pact with the Devil by Tom Finn
for best Urban Crime Thriller
CLC Book Excellence Award Winner
About the Author – Tom FinnDiscover more from Chick Lit Book Café
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.
